Sales of antibiotics used in animals and plants down for sixth year in a row

Date: 18 September 2024 Total sales of veterinary and horticultural antibiotics in New Zealand are down for a sixth year running, and sales of antibiotics considered critical for human health almost halved in the past year. “Antibiotics are essential for the treatment of bacterial infections in humans, animals, and plants. But they need to be used responsibly to prevent antimicrobial resistance (AMR),” says New Zealand Food Safety acting deputy-director general Jenny Bishop. “AMR is what happens when germs develop the ability to resist the medicines designed to kill them. “The World Health Organization has identified AMR as one of the top 10 global health threats facing humanity. So, it’s vital we ensure our current antibiotics can continue to be used. “These results, released today in our latest Antibiotic Agricultural Compound Sales Analysis, are a clear sign that antibiotics are being more carefully used, which is great news for human and animal health.